Navistar voices concerns about SCR loopholes

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EL MONTE, Cal. — Navistar has formally voiced concerns over “compliance loopholes” that it says may be exploited by truck and engine manufacturers using selective catalytic reduction (SCR).

Navistar, which is the only North American truck and engine maker to avoid SCR, has complained to the EPA and CARB that regulatory loopholes allow engines with SCR to operate without diesel exhaust fluid in certain situations, potentially exceeding stringent NOx limits. The manufacturer first launched a lawsuit against the environmental groups and then later dropped the suit when the groups agreed to work with Navistar to reach an acceptable solution through joint workshops.

“Navistar first identified these loopholes to the agencies and also presented our concerns at today’s workshop,” said Jack Allen, president of Navistar’s North American truck group. “We will be working with the EPA and CARB to ensure full environmental compliance.”

During the recent workshop, Navistar expressed concern that engines using SCR can increase NOx emissions tenfold when urea is not present. It presented research conducted by EnSIGHT as evidence.

One truck tested by EnSIGHT appeared to operate indefinitely with water in place of diesel exhaust fluid, Navistar pointed out. It claims the truck ran 13,000 miles with essentially no NOx control.

Citing European research, Navistar also complained that even when DEF is present, a truck in stop-and-go traffic may not generate high enough exhaust temperatures for the SCR system to function properly, again emitting higher than acceptable levels of NOx.

“Truck owners are paying a substantial price to comply with 2010 NOx requirements,” said Allen. “They, and the public, deserve to know that the new equipment they are purchasing actually works as promised to curb pollution. It’s obvious, however, that these trucks can operate effectively without liquid urea, and that under these and other conditions, SCR NOx emission control is turned off. We’re calling on the EPA and CARB to assure that all vehicles, not just ours, work when they are supposed to be working.”

 

 

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  • It is my understanding that the Navistar engines that meet 2010 EPA guidelines did so only by using previous “credits.”

  • Skeptic,
    What do you have invested in this. i noticed you have replied to a few of these Navistar articles and try to spin the positive aspect of credits, which allow the manufacturer to be rewarded time to perfect a technology after building cleaner engines than the previous standards. If you need more explanation I can provide you with it.

  • Credits are beneficial to all manufacturers the problem with Navistar is they are using News releases to gain attention from their own problems, to make the others look bad and to show that they are the holy ones even though they put out more NOx then the EPA/CARB regulations called for. They did it with “Fluid Economy too, they compared apple to oranges then send out a press release touting they have the best fuel economy and the media gobled it up. Even though it was small block vs. large blocks, the axle/axle ratios were not the same and they didn’t run the test long enough to create a regeneration. When you take all that into consideration they really didn’t gain much in “Fluid Economy” over the big blocks at least not enough to make it worthwhile to purchase a small block vs a big block which they don’t have.